A History That’s Bound To Melt Your Heart

Hand-made valentine cards made of pretty things such as lace, ribbons, and hearts eventually spread to the American colonies.

The tradition of Valentine's cards did not become popular in the United States until the 1850s where Esther A. Howland, a Mount Holyoke graduate and native of Worcester, Mass., began mass-producing them.

Today, of course, the holiday has become a constantly growing commercial success. According to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year are valentines.

There also many interesting traditions that went along with the holiday. Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as their parents on Valentines day and sang out in the streets. An example of a verse they sang was:

“Good morning to you, valentine

Curl your locks as I do mine

Two before and three behind

Good morning to you, valentine”

The holiday also carried over into Wales, where wooden spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes we’re just some of the decorations on the spoons, which meant to say “You unlock my heart”.

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would then wear these names on their sleeves for one week, creating the phrase “you wear your heart on your sleeve”.

Some people also used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor.

If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

It was also said that if you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you would know how many children you will have. Whether this belief worked for both genders, we’ll never know.

Corny as these traditions sound, they are true. Surprisingly, they have lasted hundreds of years and warmed thousands of hearts.

Valentine’s Day is simply about showing love to someone in the form of a card or a gift, whether or not you have a loved one.

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